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Designing for Vision Pro – What Apple Won’t Tell You, But Users Expect

Zuzanna Wilkosz

Jul 16, 2025

apple vision pro, goggles

Designing for Vision Pro – What Apple Won’t Tell You, But Users Expect

Zuzanna Wilkosz

Jul 16, 2025

apple vision pro, goggles

Designing for Vision Pro – What Apple Won’t Tell You, But Users Expect

Zuzanna Wilkosz

Jul 16, 2025

apple vision pro, goggles

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1. What is visionOS and why does it matter?

VisionOS is Apple’s spatial operating system, built for Apple Vision Pro, which blends digital content into physical environments using spatial computing.

Unlike traditional mobile or desktop systems:

  • Interfaces exist in 3D space, not confined to screens

  • Interactions rely on gaze, gestures, and voice - not touch or clicks

  • UX must account for comfort, clarity, and depth hierarchy

Why it matters? Because the success of a spatial app isn’t about adding "cool effects". It’s about building natural, intuitive, and non-fatiguing experiences in a radically new medium.

2. Core traits and benefits of Vision Pro interface design

Spatial depth - Layered UIs let users see and organize content naturally
Multi-window awareness - Apps coexist with others in the same scene
Zero-hardware interaction - No mouse, no controllers
Ambient UI - Info "floats" within your field of view
Personal space - UIs must feel private, non-invasive, and responsive

Why spatial UI is better than flat UI (in the right context):

  • It mimics how we interact with physical tools

  • Enables multitasking and immersive workflows

  • Empowers new experiences: 3D collaboration, remote presence, hands-free work

3. How to get started - tools, SDKs, and structure

🛠 Tools you'll need:

  • Xcode + visionOS SDK

  • Reality Composer Pro for building spatial scenes

  • SwiftUI + RealityKit for interface and interaction logic

  • ARKit for anchoring digital content in real-world spaces

🔑 Key structural components:

  • Volumes - windows in space with layered UIs

  • Immersive spaces - full-scene 3D environments

  • Ornaments - lightweight UI elements (tooltips, status, overlays)

📘 Apple’s official docs will get you started. But for real usability—you’ll need to go further.

4. Practical examples & use cases

🎓 Scenario 1 - 3D Training Tool

An anatomy education app lets students explore organs in full scale.
💡 Lesson: Use layered depth and spatial sound for orientation.

🧑‍💻 Scenario 2 - Virtual Workspace

A productivity app offers draggable panels, task lists, and video calls in a 360° space.
💡 Users want focus control—not 10 things happening at once.

🎨 Scenario 3 - Creative Canvas

Artists paint in 3D space using gestures.
💡 Avoid tiny gestures and overly detailed UIs - fatigue builds fast.

5. Common problems and how to solve them

⚠️ Direct porting of 2D UI
✅ Rebuild hierarchy in 3D. Think depth, spacing, and ergonomics.

⚠️ Unclear interaction cues
✅ Always give visual + motion feedback to gestures and gaze.

⚠️ User fatigue from prolonged arm/eye use
✅ Keep core UI in a comfortable zone (30-50 cm in front, low angle).

⚠️ Overwhelming environments
✅ Use neutral lighting, sound cues, and allow focus modes.

⚠️ Lack of fallback
✅ Always provide graceful degradation (e.g., keyboard fallback when needed).

6. Best practices and design tips

💡 Use the natural field of view - don’t force users to turn their heads too much
💡 Build for micro-interactions - small, satisfying gestures win over big swings
💡 Apply depth layering like in theatre staging: foreground → action → ambient
💡 Include spatial sound for subtle cues (direction, distance, urgency)
💡 Respect privacy - don’t show user data in shared physical spaces
💡 Minimize movement: let the UI come to the user, not the other way around

7. Summary – Is designing for visionOS worth it?

Absolutely - if your product gains from immersion, spatial interaction, or ambient multitasking. But beware: visionOS is not just a visual playground. It's a new human-computer paradigm. Designing for Apple Vision Pro means thinking in 3D, designing for focus, and anticipating fatigue.

© 2025 Bereyziat Development, All rights reserved.

Be on top of your industry

© 2025 Bereyziat Development, All rights reserved.

Be on top of your industry

© 2025 Bereyziat Development, All rights reserved.

Be on top of your industry